Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Well, my plan had been to tell you about the epic road trip I just took, where I spent almost two weeks driving around West and South Texas (with a quick detour to North Texas), and did nothing but look at the sky, read books, and eat whatever I wanted. I also turned off my computer, stayed away from social media, and refused to check my email.

As I visited with friends in San Antonio, one was incredulous I’d stayed away from the Internet for so long. She then filled me in on all that had happened on social media and a host of other places online. “It’s been so exciting,” she said. “You’ve missed everything!” But I didn’t mind a bit. My time away was glorious and I highly recommend it.

That said, the other night as I was making my new summertime staple—a chipotle shrimp coleslaw that requires little effort, save for a quick boil on the shrimp and some chopping of cabbage and such—I remembered I’d been silent on the blog for a while.
Then, as I was stirring the purple cabbage with the green cilantro and pink shrimp I thought to myself, “This is pretty!” So I took a picture. And you know that when you take a picture of your food—you might as well write about it, too.

So here it is. If you’re a fan of quick summer salads with a bit of fire, this crisp, refreshing slaw livened up with chipotle chile powder and smoked paprika will make you happy. And while you could offer it as a side to heartier proteins such as fish, this coleslaw certainly makes a fine light meal, too. Though no matter how you serve it, if you love shrimp, coleslaw, and a hint of smoke then this should definitely become part of your summer rotation.

Enjoy this coleslaw. And while I’m still processing all that sky I saw while I was out in West and South Texas, perhaps next time I’ll share with you more of my Texas adventures. Though honestly, not a whole lot happened, which is sometimes exactly what you need.

Instructions:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then add the shrimp and salt. Cook until light pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.

In a large bowl, stir together the cooked shrimp, cabbage, cilantro, garlic, and red onion. Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, chipotle chile powder, and cumin, then stir the dressing into the cabbage until everything is well combined. Adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.

Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Yield:4 servings

Notes:I find that a 1 1/2-pound to 2-pound red cabbage usually yields about 8 cups.

Lisa- Texas misses you already! I'm wondering - do you think this dish would be worth making minus the cilantro? I've got one family member who experiences the flavor of cilantro as "soap" and I've learned in a few dishes you can simply nearly eliminate it or leave it out altogether but in other dishes the subtraction of cilantro leaves a hole that won't be filled. Because with or without cilantro, this sounds like the perfect summertime dinner when the temps are hitting triple digits!

Hi Lisa- welcome back! I was wondering what had happened to you... I don't think I've commented on your blog before (?), but I'm a long time reader and just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your recipes! As an American living overseas, I have to say that Tex Mex /Mexican is what I miss the most. So it's great to be able to make it at home.

Missed you a lot but really a vacay in Texas in the summer I would take everyday if I could. The recipe for this salad sounds super duper yummmeee, our only child is heading out to Austin for some rest and relaxation she is thinking of permanently moving to the Austin area and we cannot wait we will visit and enjoy all that Texas has to offer, what a wonderful sunny, lovely place to live one's life...I love your recipes, our only child lives in NYC and the heat and humidity has been suffocating for her and her cat, she cannot wait to get to sunshine and dry weather and friendly,creative and loving human beings in Texas, happy summer, I will be making this salad today, can't wait, ciao!

I made this slaw last night to go under our favorite grilled shrimp. I subbed in parsley for the cilantro (one family member won't eat cilantro) and this recipe is a definite keeper. Already started sharing it with friends. The flavors in this slaw are perfection under shrimp and now I'm thinking it would probably be superb under scallops or even as a side dish with sprinkled peanuts. Simply great flavors!

I'm excited to hear about where you went in San Antonio!I'm ashamed to admit that in my 28 years, I've never intentionally visited West Texas. Driven through many times en route to elsewhere, but never had that region be my destination. I've been dying to go for years, and my husband and I are planning a trip out that way (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mt State Park maybe) at some point in the hopefully near future. Any recommendations about some must-visits?

No shrimp in the house this morning, but I think I just might have to make a version of this today. It'd be a nice twist on the recipe I usually use. Oh... Maybe I'll make two batches - one of each recipe... =)